The Nun

France, 1765, and Suzanne (Etienne) is the youngest of three daughters, two of which have been married off, the dowries leaving her somewhat wealthy father almost penniless. Unable/unwilling to go through it again Suzanne is coerced by her family into joining a nunnery and taking her vows, which she does eventually under great duress. However when the kindly Mother Superior dies and is replaced by the sadistic Christine (Bourgoin), Suzanne's one comfort disappears.

Nicloux's adaptation of Denis Didoret’s controversial 18th century novel (this the second attempt to bring it to the screen) doesn’t try to disguise its blow against organised religion. Whether it's a total lack of love - the cruel Bourgoin only delights in stripping Etienne, or making her walk barefoot down steps covered with broken glass - or too much - he none too subtle advances by Huppert are suffocating - religion comes a cropper. When Etienne is nearly starved to death the doctor summoned stresses to the sisters that, 'sacraments won’t save her, only food will.' The feeling is that if religion is the enemy here then The Nun is a tad dated in its pointedness. It's almost too easy to have a go even if it does rile the blood (see this week's Philomena). As divisive Didoret's novel must have been, this adaptation doesn't have the same impact over two hundred years on.

While the punitive plot offers no respite in cruelty towards our heroine, which immediately gets the audience on her side, the story can lapse into inactivity and repetitiveness. The Nun could have been tidied up here and there but Nicloux prefers to stick with certain situations and see them out despite their predictability. It's strange then that Nicloux can choose to fast forward through scenes; assuming that the audience will understand what will happen when he sets up a course of action, the director will then cut to the fallout of that action. It's like there are two styles working against each other and it's an odd mixture.

But The Nun is worth it for Etienne and Huppert, both keeping interest high during the film’s down time. Huppert, channelling a little of Vanessa Redgrave's passionate madness from The Devils, pulls herself back from the brink when she veers close to overacting, while the rebellious Etienne remains graceful and resilient throughout.